"It's the aura of rampant magic. I finally found it."
"Let's go rescue her quickly, Alhaitham—no, Lord Anye."
Deep within a dense forest, where sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy, two figures moved with precision and purpose. After two months of meticulous searching, Alhaitham and Alpha had finally located another victim of [Devil's Possession].
Although progress was slow, this was only the beginning. Once their numbers grew, tracking and rescuing more people would become much easier.
"I wonder what kind of person it will be this time?" Alhaitham mused, rubbing his hands together with excitement.
Among the three great hero lineages—elves, humans, and orcs—he secretly hoped for an orc this time. After all, orcs were strong, durable, and, most importantly… furry.
If he was lucky, perhaps it would be a catgirl. But a wolf-girl or even a fox spirit wouldn't be bad either.
This world actively encouraged childbirth. Nobles needed heirs to inherit their titles, while commoners required children to assist with labor. Orcs, in particular, were known to bear many offspring, while elves had significantly lower birthrates.
But this was a fantasy world.
A land of swords and magic.
And best of all—
Polygamy was widely accepted!
Throughout the generations, the heroic bloodlines had spread across the world. However, only those with a particularly strong lineage or latent talent could inherit [Devil's Possession].
Alhaitham adjusted the cloak draped over his shoulders, his dark combat uniform blending seamlessly with the shadows of the forest. The attire had been skillfully crafted by his diligent little maid, Rem.
He liked it.
But recently, he had been feeling the urge to upgrade not only his clothing but also his weaponry.
Swords were fine and all, but he had always wanted to experience the sheer satisfaction of drawing a gun in response to an enemy's blade. Then, after eliminating his opponent in an instant, he could casually remark—
"Sir, times have changed."
Beyond aesthetics, their organization was beginning to take shape. They needed proper uniforms—something both practical and stylish. Presentation mattered. Alhaitham had a keen eye for aesthetics and a deep appreciation for beauty.
Just as he was lost in these thoughts—
"!!!"
His next step halted mid-air. He remained motionless for a few seconds before lowering his foot back to the ground. The carefree expression he had worn moments ago disappeared.
After a brief pause, he sighed and turned to Alpha, who was watching him curiously.
"Alpha, I'm giving you a temporary test. Go take care of those cultists and retrieve the child with [Devil's Possession]."
"Huh? Why so suddenly?"
"Just consider it an assessment of your progress over the past two months. Don't disappoint me."
Reaching out, he gently ruffled the elf girl's golden hair before removing his cloak and draping it over her slender shoulders.
Alpha did not hesitate.
Although she was technically two years older than Alhaitham, she always followed his orders with unwavering loyalty.
She even felt a bit honored to be entrusted with his cloak.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
With a determined nod, Alpha vanished into the shadows, her movements as swift as a golden phantom. Over the past two months, she had transformed into a formidable warrior, a far cry from the inexperienced girl she once was.
As he observed her departure, Alhaitham ensured she was far enough away before speaking softly to the empty air.
"Long time no see, System."
A flickering sound crackled through his mind.
"Zzzt… Zzzt… System rebooting… Restarting at 10%… 30%… 60%… 90%… Restart complete. Initialization successful. Long time no see, host."
Alhaitham smirked.
"Heh, it's been seven years. I thought you were dead."
"Due to energy depletion upon time travel, this system entered a dormant state. Fortunately, the abundance of magical energy in this world has allowed for a full reboot."
Before his eyes, an ethereal interface materialized, resembling a sleek game shop menu.
A staple feature for any proper transmigrator—
A system.
"Alright, so what's your function now?"
"Assisting you in becoming the supreme ruler of this world."
"Haha, is that so? And what can you do exactly?"
Another static-filled pause. The interface appeared sluggish, as if the system itself was suffering from lag.
"Due to insufficient energy, only basic functions are currently available. Intermediate, advanced, and top-tier features will unlock once more energy is accumulated."
Alhaitham casually scrolled through the system menu. Most of the options were grayed out, labeled as 'Unavailable.'
In the corner of the interface, he noticed a point counter—currently displaying zero.
"I assume these points are used to redeem items?"
"Correct. Points can be earned by eliminating targets. The stronger the target, the greater the reward. Completing specific achievements will also grant additional points."
"Hmm… sounds pretty standard. No overpowered abilities or godlike cheats?"
"…Insufficient energy to activate advanced functions."
"Tch, fine. In that case, let's start with something practical—how about the newbie gift pack I never got to use?"
With a casual swipe, Alhaitham summoned a glowing red gift box from the system interface. The ornate ribbon unraveled effortlessly as he pulled it apart.
A series of notifications immediately popped up.
"Congratulations! You have received the [Newbie Gift Pack]."
"You have obtained the low-level ability: [Eye of Bole]."
"You have obtained the intermediate ability: [Universal Genius]."
"You have obtained the advanced ability: [Space Magic]."
"You have obtained the supreme weapon: [EA - Deviation Sword]."
Alhaitham's brows lifted slightly.
"Hoh… now this is interesting."
---
[Ability Breakdown]
[Eye of Bole] → A keen perception ability, allowing him to instantly evaluate a person's potential and talents.
[Universal Genius] → Enhances comprehension speed across all disciplines, from combat techniques to scientific theories.
[Space Magic] → Grants control over spatial manipulation, enabling teleportation, storage dimensions, and more.
[EA - Deviation Sword] → A legendary weapon said to rival the might of the gods.
---
The corner of Alhaitham's lips curled into a smirk.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
He had initially been skeptical about the system's usefulness, but these rewards were far from disappointing. In particular, [Universal Genius] and [Space Magic] would significantly accelerate his plans.
And as for [EA - Deviation Sword]... well, that warranted some testing.
Cracking his neck, Alhaitham stretched his limbs, a familiar sense of excitement brewing within him.
It seemed that the game was finally about to begin.